1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transparency file assemblage of the type including instant or self-developing film.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Volumes of patents have issued with transparency film assemblages which include, as an element thereof, instant or self-developing type film. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,530 directed to a self-processing film unit including a photosensitive sheet combined with a liquid applicator pad which is applied to the sheet after its exposure to initiate processing. The applicator pad is sealed in a liquid and air impervious pocket and is affixed to one end of the photosensitive sheet. The sheet and pad combination are to be carried as a unit through a camera system.
Another example of a self-processing film unit including a sheet-like photosensitive film component in combination with an attached pad impregnated with film processing fluid is in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,556. The disclosure is directed to unique structure for applying the pad to the sheet of photosensitive film subsequent to its exposure and includes moving the unit through a pair of spaced apart rollers to laminate the pad to the photosensitive sheet. A coil of opaque material is separately mounted in the film assemblage to engage and cover the film unit during its developing period.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,680 reveals a transparency film assemblage which includes a film mount in two sections and a film frame of the instant type mounted in one section. After exposure of the film, a container of processing liquid mounted adjacent the film frame is ruptured and processing liquid is spread over the film frame. An opaque strip sheet covers one side of the film frame to hold the processing liquid against the film frame during the processing. Subsequently, the strip sheet is stripped away and folded into a cavity in the mount as the two parts of the film mount are folded together and bonded to hold the developed film frame in position.
An example of a processing unit where the processing fluid is not incorporated as a part of the film assemblage per se is U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,770. In the processing sequence, laminating rollers are used to join a pad impregnated with processing fluid to an exposed film frame and at least one of the rollers is structured to traverse a sloping ramp extending between the elevated surface of the mount for the film frame and the surface of the film frame itself. The sloping ramp at each end of the aperture holding the film frame allows for an easy sloping transition of the roller from the mount to the surface of the film frame.
What is needed in the industry is a transparency film assemblage to be used in combination with a camera where a premounted slide is combined with film developing chemicals whereby, after the film is exposed, the photodeveloping chemicals can be applied directly to the film frame while the film frame and its mount are encapsulated in a light impermeable envelope which can be discharged to the ambient light where it will develop and the enclosing envelope subsequently stripped and discarded to leave the finished slide ready for immediate viewing.